Alexander Torik was born in Moscow in 1958 and grew up in Mytishchi, a suburb of Moscow. In 1965, he moved with his parents to Ufa, where he completed eight years of secondary school and graduated from a Pedagogical College with a degree in teaching drawing and drafting in secondary school. In 1977, he returned to Moscow and studied for two and a half years at the Moscow Art Theater School-Studio (MKhAT) in the stage production faculty. That same year, he came to faith in God and began attending the Church of St. Nicholas in Kuznetsy, Moscow.

Starting in 1982, Alexander regularly visited the Trinity-Sergius Lavra for spiritual guidance. In 1984, he began serving as an altar assistant at the Church of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos in the village of Aleksino, Ruza District, Moscow Region. From 1985, he served as the choir director in the same church until October 1989, when he was ordained a deacon and assigned to serve at the Holy Trinity Novo-Golutvin Convent. In 1990, he was transferred to the Epiphany Cathedral in Noginsk.

In 1991, he was ordained a priest and appointed rector of the Church of St. Sergius of Radonezh in the village of Novosergievo, Noginsk District, Moscow Region. In 1996, he was additionally appointed rector of the newly established garrison church of St. Alexander Nevsky in the “Stromyn” garrison, which was founded on his initiative. He also edited the parish newspaper Sergievsky Listok and the garrison newspaper Faith and Fatherland.

In 1996, Fr. Alexander Torik wrote and published the first edition of the booklet Churching. He oversaw Sunday schools in Noginsk, the “Stromyn” garrison, and the village of Zarechye in the Vladimir Region. In 1997, he was diagnosed with cancer, underwent surgery, and, by God’s mercy and the skill of the doctors, survived.

In 2001, Fr. Alexander was elevated to the rank of Archpriest. In early 2002, he was transferred to the staff of the Grebnev Church in Odintsovo. Soon afterward, due to health reasons and upon his request, he was retired. He has since been a disability pensioner and has dedicated himself to literary work.

In October 2011, he founded and headed the Orthodox missionary publishing house Flavian Press. In 2013, Archpriest Alexander Torik was awarded the Patriarchal Certificate of Honor and was shortlisted for the Patriarchal Literary Award.

Fr. Alexander is married and has three children. His two sons serve as clergy in the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and his daughter is a publisher.

In 2013, due to health reasons and on the recommendation of doctors, Fr. Alexander and his Matushka moved to Portugal. In Albufeira, he founded an Orthodox community of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. With the blessing of the Patriarchal Exarch of Western Europe, Metropolitan Nestor of Korsun and Western Europe, Fr. Alexander Torik became the head of this community and established the International Christian Religious and Cultural Center Pokrov, which includes a house church dedicated to the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Currently, the Very Rev. Alexander Torik is actively involved in the life of the Pokrov community in Albufeira and continues his literary and missionary work.

Books:
1. Churching (1996) Has gone through more than ten editions, including translations into several languages
2. Flavian (2004)
3. Flavian. Life Goes On (2007)
4. Dimon (2008)
5. Flavian. The Ascent (2010)
6. Selaphiela (2012)
7. Rusak (2012)
8. Flavian. Armageddon (2013)
9. Avenues of Love (2015)
10. Flavian. Confession of an Accidental Fellow Traveler (2015)
11. Infante Alexandre (2016)
12. The Black Doe Running on the Ocean Foam (2017)
13. Flavian. The White Ship (2017)
14. Flavian. The Diary (2020)
15. Quarantine (2021)
16. Metanoia (2021)
17. My Ayo (2022)
18. The Book About Mishka (2022)
19. Flavian. The Chamber (2022)
20. Flavian. War (2023)
21. Four Stories (2024)
22. The Mermaid (2024)